The USO (United Service Organizations, Inc.) was formed in 1941 by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, as the outgrowth of several organizations wishing to support the military troops as the U.S. entered World War II. During its initial years of...
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The USO (United Service Organizations, Inc.) was formed in 1941 by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, as the outgrowth of several organizations wishing to support the military troops as the U.S. entered World War II. During its initial years of operation (1941-1947), the Camp Shows brought entertainment to United States and Allied service men overseas, at home, in hospitals, and in occupied territories. Theater productions as well as entertainment featuring Hollywood personalities and novelty performers entertained servicemen all over the world. Original drawings of color painter's elevations, set designs, elevations, other technical drawings, and sketches for USO Camp Shows productions that played nationally and internationally during the 1940s. Although the majority of the designs and elevations are by Bradford Ashworth and Paul Morrison, other designers represented include Ralph Alswang, Howard Bay, Frederick Fox, Carl Kent, Arthur Knorr, Bruno Main, Raymond Sovey, Miles White and Edward E. Wolf. Perry Watkins, the first African-American set designer on Broadway, also designed a number of Camp Shows productions. Girl crazy, Junior miss, Panama Hattie, Porgy and Bess, and Shuffle along are especially well-documented and include production-related papers, such as property lists and memoranda.
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Costume and set designer Carl Michna Michel was born April 3, 1928. A former resident of Canyon, Texas, he was a graduate of Yale University School of Drama and also studied in Europe. Michel designed and executed costumes for theatre productions,...
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Costume and set designer Carl Michna Michel was born April 3, 1928. A former resident of Canyon, Texas, he was a graduate of Yale University School of Drama and also studied in Europe. Michel designed and executed costumes for theatre productions, later gravitating to designing costumes almost exclusively for the ballet. Michel designed costumes for some 17 ballets for Dance Theatre of Harlem from 1973 to 1990, also designing sets for a number of them; Michel also co-authored (with Arthur Mitchell) the scenario for the company's production of Giselle (1984). He became production supervisor for Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1985. Michel designed costumes for over 15 other ballet companies and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades and United Scenic Artists. He died Nov. 12, 2004. Collection includes approximately 750 original designs, primarily costume designs, but also set designs, photographs, blueprints, and set model pieces by Carl Michel, for over 50 ballets and 8 theater productions. Many of the designs are for works by Dance Theatre of Harlem from 1973 to 1995. Their stage and television productions of Giselle (1984 and 1987) are especially well documented and include Michel's extensive research papers, in addition to his costume and set designs, and set models. The Joplin dances (Dance Theatre of Harlem, 1995) and various productions of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake are also well represented. Dancers for whom Michel designed include Mikhail Baryshnikov, Erik Bruhn, William Cratty, Gelsey Kirkland, Patricia McBride, Peter Martins, Natalia Makarova, Violette Verdy, Edward Villella, and other performers such as opera singers Galina Vishnevskaya and Klara Barlow. There are also numerous costume designs for Hartford Ballet Company productions.
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The Historic American Buildings Survey was conducted in the 1930s by the Office of National Parks, Buildings and Reservations, U.S. Dept. of the Interior. Collection consists of detailed blueprint plans of historic buildings in New York City and...
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The Historic American Buildings Survey was conducted in the 1930s by the Office of National Parks, Buildings and Reservations, U.S. Dept. of the Interior. Collection consists of detailed blueprint plans of historic buildings in New York City and various counties in New York State, many accompanied by historical narratives and photographs. Counties represented include Dutchess, Greene, Nassau, Putnam, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Ulster, Westchester, New York, Queens, Kings, and the Bronx.
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The Uta Hagen/Herbert Berghof papers document the lives and careers of actress, master teacher, and author Uta Hagen and her husband--actor, director, and master teacher Herbert Berghof. The papers consist of correspondence, personal and family...
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The Uta Hagen/Herbert Berghof papers document the lives and careers of actress, master teacher, and author Uta Hagen and her husband--actor, director, and master teacher Herbert Berghof. The papers consist of correspondence, personal and family papers, diaries, scripts and manuscripts, production materials, blueprints, photographs, scrapbooks, posters, clippings, ephemera, and oversized material. There are also a number of papers relating to the HB Studio and HB Playwrights Foundation, the school and developmental theater founded by Berghof.
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The Colles family papers contain extensive correspondence, diaries, financial records, photographs, and personal miscellany of three generations of the Colles family, 1801-1957. Over half of the collection is devoted to the papers of prominent New...
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The Colles family papers contain extensive correspondence, diaries, financial records, photographs, and personal miscellany of three generations of the Colles family, 1801-1957. Over half of the collection is devoted to the papers of prominent New York City and New Orleans merchant James Colles (1788-1883), and his granddaughter, the artist Gertrude Colles (1869-1957) of New York City and Morristown, New Jersey.
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The Tilden Trust was incorporated in 1887 after the death in 1886 of Samuel J. Tilden, attorney, governor of New York in 1874 and 1875, and U.S. presidential candidate in 1876. Tilden's will stipulated that the bulk of his estate was to make up...
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The Tilden Trust was incorporated in 1887 after the death in 1886 of Samuel J. Tilden, attorney, governor of New York in 1874 and 1875, and U.S. presidential candidate in 1876. Tilden's will stipulated that the bulk of his estate was to make up the Tilden Trust for the creation of a public library and reading room in New York City. The records include correspondence, financial and legal files, graphic material, and printed matter. The bulk of the material relates to the administration of the resources of the Estate and Trust, as well as the litigation attempt to break the will.
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Set designer Tom Adrian Cracraft designed settings for several Broadway plays in the 1930s and 1940s, and later for Hollywood, where he also served as head of the scenic art department at Columbia Pictures. Tom Adrian Cracraft died in Los Angeles...
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Set designer Tom Adrian Cracraft designed settings for several Broadway plays in the 1930s and 1940s, and later for Hollywood, where he also served as head of the scenic art department at Columbia Pictures. Tom Adrian Cracraft died in Los Angeles in 1963 at the age of 58. His credits on Broadway include the revivals of The Petrified Forest (1943) and Goodbye Again (1943). Set designs for Broadway shows from 1932-1936, including color designs on illustration board, pencil designs, sketches, elevations and ground plans on tracing paper, and blueprints. The collection also includes 2 ceramic tiles, a cartoon by T.A. Cracraft, and a caricature of him by Betancourt.
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Henry Kittredge Norton (1884-1965) was an American educator, journalist, author, and businessman. He was an advocate of aerial transit as a method of urban mass transportation. His positions included trustee and president of the New York,...
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Henry Kittredge Norton (1884-1965) was an American educator, journalist, author, and businessman. He was an advocate of aerial transit as a method of urban mass transportation. His positions included trustee and president of the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad, director of Walter Kidde & Co., and member of the New York City Transit Authority. Collection consists of correspondence, reports, designs and plans, and scrapbooks of photographs documenting Norton's efforts toward the adoption of monorails for San Francisco and New York City. Papers include correspondence, 1947-1954; published and unpublished reports, 1948-1955, relating mostly to mass transportation in the San Francisco Bay area; and designs, blueprints and drawings of monorails, as well as related patents. Also, photographs in various formats and scrapbooks of photographs of New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad facilities and operations.
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Morton Baum was the chair of City Center’s Finance Committee from 1943 to 1968. In the 1960s he became its managing director. City Center was responsible for presenting many of the most important dance, music, opera and drama companies in New York...
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Morton Baum was the chair of City Center’s Finance Committee from 1943 to 1968. In the 1960s he became its managing director. City Center was responsible for presenting many of the most important dance, music, opera and drama companies in New York City during the middle of the 20th Century. Baum was also instrumental in bringing that same quality of the arts to the newly-formed Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Inc. The collection consists of administrative and financial material used in the creation and running of City Center. It also includes administrative and financial material about the creation of Lincoln Center of the Performing Arts.
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Samuel J. Tilden (1814-1886) served as Governor of New York, 1875-1876, and was the Democratic nominee for the Presidency in 1876. Tilden began his career as a corporate lawyer; he served as Corporate Counsel for the City of New York, as a member...
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Samuel J. Tilden (1814-1886) served as Governor of New York, 1875-1876, and was the Democratic nominee for the Presidency in 1876. Tilden began his career as a corporate lawyer; he served as Corporate Counsel for the City of New York, as a member of the New York State Assembly, and as Chairman of the Democratic National Convention. Monies from his estate contributed to the founding of The New York Public Library. His papers document his political and legal career and are comprised primarily of correspondence, political and legal files, financial documents, writings, speeches, and personal papers dating from 1785 - 1929 (bulk 1832 - 1886).
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Edward F. Caldwell & Co. of New York City, founded in 1894, designed and manufactured lighting fixtures and ornamental bronze and ironworks. In 1957 the company re-emerged after tax liquidation as the E.T. Caldwell Lighting Company. The president...
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Edward F. Caldwell & Co. of New York City, founded in 1894, designed and manufactured lighting fixtures and ornamental bronze and ironworks. In 1957 the company re-emerged after tax liquidation as the E.T. Caldwell Lighting Company. The president was Edward T. Caldwell. Collection consists mainly of sketches, with correspondence, financial documents, design records, invoice books, ledgers and photographs from the Caldwell firm and additional business records of the Plastic Illuminating Company. Personal correspondence, 1958-1959, contains letters to Edward T. Caldwell from his friends and acquaintances. Business correspondence, 1956-1959, is with customers after the re-organization of the company. Financial documents, 1938-1957, include logs of transactions, bank statements and income tax returns. Draughtman's sketches of lighting fixtures are done in pen and ink. Group schedule of designs, 1930-1949, are sketches of multiple lighting fixtures required for specific jobs. Design records, 1900-1941, contain information and sketches of lighting fixtures. Invoice books, 1943-1946, include descriptions of materials shipped with prices and information about customers. Also, records of material received, 1955-1956; ledgers, 1953-1956; shipment records, 1951-1954; employees' salary records, 1953-1956; index to customers; and records, 1947-1957, of the Plastic Illuminating Company (probably a subsidiary of the Caldwell Company) including order books, receipts and disbursements, and checkbooks. Leo Spier's letters, in German, to his mother, who was E.T. Caldwell's housekeeper, are restricted.
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Award winning designer of sets and costumes and a theatrical producer, Lemuel Ayers (1915-1955) had a brief but brilliant career with extensive Broadway credits including High button shoes and Oklahoma! He was born in New York City and received a...
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Award winning designer of sets and costumes and a theatrical producer, Lemuel Ayers (1915-1955) had a brief but brilliant career with extensive Broadway credits including High button shoes and Oklahoma! He was born in New York City and received a degree in architecture from Princeton University and a degree in drama from the University of Iowa. Original set designs, working drawings and sketches, blueprints, elevations, floor plans, and sections by Lemuel Ayers for the following productions: Ariadne auf Naxos (opera; Central City Opera House, Central City, Colorado), 1954; Angel street (also titled Gaslight) by Patrick Hamilton, 1941; Bloomer girl by Sig Herzig and Fred Saidy, adapted from a play by Lilith and Dan James; music by Harold Arlen; lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, 1944; Camino real by Tennessee Williams, 1953; Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, adapted by Brian Hooker, 1946; Inside U.S.A. (revue, book by Arnold Auerbach, Moss Hart, Arnold B. Horwitt, Joseph Stein, and Will Glickman; music by Arthur Schwartz; lyrics by Howard Dietz), 1948; Kiss me Kate (book by Sam and Bella Spewack; music and lyrics by Cole Porter), 1948; The pajama game (book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, based on the novel, 7 1/2 cents, by Richard Bissell; music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross), 1954; The pirate by S. N. Behrman, adapted from a play by Ludwig Fulda; music by Herbert Kingsley, 1942; and St. Louis woman (book by Arna Bontemps, Countee Cullen; music by Harold Arlen; lyrics by Johnny Mercer), 1946.
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Adolph Simon Ochs was an American newspaperman and the publisher of the New York Times for almost forty years, from 1896 to 1935. Under his leadership, the paper acquired an international reputation for objective and trustworthy reporting. The...
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Adolph Simon Ochs was an American newspaperman and the publisher of the New York Times for almost forty years, from 1896 to 1935. Under his leadership, the paper acquired an international reputation for objective and trustworthy reporting. The collection contains correspondence, letterpress books, scrapbooks, financial records, blueprints, maps, land surveys, photographs, honorary degrees and awards presented to Ochs, and other material related to his life and career. The main areas of focus in the collection are the Chattanooga Times, the New York Times, the Philadelphia Public Ledger, the Philadelphia Times, Ochs' continuing interest in the city of Chattanooga, and personal and family matters.
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The American Place Theatre is a not-for-profit theater founded in 1963 in New York City to aid in the advancement of learning in all aspects of the dramatic arts, including the development and advancement in writing, direction, and production of...
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The American Place Theatre is a not-for-profit theater founded in 1963 in New York City to aid in the advancement of learning in all aspects of the dramatic arts, including the development and advancement in writing, direction, and production of plays. The American Place Theatre Company records document almost five decades of theatrical work produced by the American Place Theatre and the administrative activities of the theater. The bulk of the collection consists of production files that span from 1963 until the 2008-2009 season. The records also contain administrative files that represent the day-to-day operations of the American Place Theatre, minutes of the board of trustees, extensive correspondence of Director Wynn Handman, scripts, and posters.
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Collection consists of correspondence, speeches, memoranda, press releases, reports, plans, photographs, clippings, and other printed matter documenting the career of Robert Moses. Personal Correspondence and "Library" (personal copy) files make up the bulk of the collection and include materials relating to topics such as the creation of parks and roads, Moses's political activities, regulation of banks, depression relief, the World's Fairs of 1939-1940 and 1964-1965, the United Nations headquarters, the Hall of Fame of Great Americans, and personal and family matters. Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority papers concern projects to build bridges, tunnels and highways as well as Moses's appointment as chairman. Emergency Public Works Commission and Office of the City Construction Coordinator series pertain to depression relief efforts and publicly funded building activities in New York City. Gubernatorial Campaign materials consist mainly of speeches, press releases, correspondence, and background information on the issues of the election of 1934. Department of Parks files concern the improvement of New York City parks and the expansion of parks and playgrounds. Constitutional Convention series contains correspondence on the administrative, legal and personal issues of New York governmental reform in the 1930s. Long Island State Park Commission and New York State Council of Parks materials relate to the development, maintenance and improvement of parks.
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Alanson T. Briggs (1871-1946) served as Agent for Carnegie Sites of The New York Public Library from 1901-1910. He assisted the Board of Trustees in selecting sites for branch libraries, appraised them in conjunction with the Board of Appraisors,...
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Alanson T. Briggs (1871-1946) served as Agent for Carnegie Sites of The New York Public Library from 1901-1910. He assisted the Board of Trustees in selecting sites for branch libraries, appraised them in conjunction with the Board of Appraisors, and negotiated their purchase for the Carnegie program. During this period he also served as Agent for the Carnegie programs in Queens and Brooklyn.
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William John Wilgus (1865-1949) was a civil engineer who worked for the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. By 1899 he was the chief engineer for construction and maintenance of way and in 1903 became vice-president in charge of...
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William John Wilgus (1865-1949) was a civil engineer who worked for the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. By 1899 he was the chief engineer for construction and maintenance of way and in 1903 became vice-president in charge of construction. During those years he supervised the planning and construction of Buffalo Union Station, the Weehawken (N.J.) Terminal and the modern Grand Central Station. In 1907 Wilgus opened his own consulting practice and advised railroad companies on construction and improvement projects for states and municipalities including several concerned with the improvement of passenger and freight transportation in the New York Metropolitan area. During World War I he directed transportation for the Allied Expeditionary Forces in France. After his retirement from private practice in 1930, he devoted much of his time to writing and research on military and civilian transportation issues while working in the private sector. Collection consists of records that document Wilgus' professional activities as a civil engineer. New York Central and Hudson River Railroad papers, 1895-1931, include correspondence; research notes, articles and pictures, engineering reports, minutes, legal papers, photographs and other materials relating to the new Grand Central Station and electrification of the suburban lines leading into it, and the rehabilitation and expansion of the railroad's other lines. American Expeditionary Forces records, 1915-1933, contain correspondence, writings and translations by Wilgus, writings by others, and source materials concerning military transportation during World War I. Private consulting practice records, 1908-1930, of his consulting firm in New York City consist of materials about New York transportation and major railroad projects and of general client files. Public service activities series, 1933-1945, contains papers relating to various projects on which he worked. American Society of Civil Engineers records, 1914-1930, include Wilgus' papers as member and president of the New York chapter in 1920-1921, and records of the United Engineering Society. His writings, research notes and related correspondence, 1913-1947, contain essays, notes, correspondence, and printed materials on issues of military reorganization, transportation and war preparedness. Also, artifacts, such as medals, awards and certificates, and photographs and charts.
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Alton Forrest Raymond Lawrence (1922-1972) was a sound recording archivist, lawyer, and professional historian who established and organized the record library and company archive of Columbia Records, Inc. beginning in the early 1960s. The...
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Alton Forrest Raymond Lawrence (1922-1972) was a sound recording archivist, lawyer, and professional historian who established and organized the record library and company archive of Columbia Records, Inc. beginning in the early 1960s. The collection dates from 1888 to 1972 (bulk dates 1940-1964) and reflects the history, operations, business decisions, and technological developments of Columbia Records while providing some insight into the professional work and outlook of A. F. R. Lawrence.
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Papers document Sprague's career as an inventor and engineer in the field of rail transportation from his days as a U.S. Naval Academy cadet until his death in 1934. Papers consist chiefly of his correspondence and business records of his...
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Papers document Sprague's career as an inventor and engineer in the field of rail transportation from his days as a U.S. Naval Academy cadet until his death in 1934. Papers consist chiefly of his correspondence and business records of his companies, the Sprague Electric Railway and Motor Company, Sprague Electric Company, Sprague Electric Elevator Company, Société Française Sprague, and Sprague Safety Control and Signal Corporation. Company records, 1884-1933, include correspondence, memoranda, technical reports, blueprints, diagrams, photographs, patent applications, patent interference case files, and laboratory and shop records. His work as a consulting engineer and his participation in several professional organizations are also documented, particularly his work for the Electric Traction Commission of the New York Central Railroad, 1902-1906, and for the U.S. Naval Consulting Board, 1915-1923. Papers also include copies of his speeches and writings, personal notebooks, numerous scrapbooks of clippings and printed material about his inventions and rail transportation in general, and a small series of personal papers, including personal and household correspondence, portraits, genealogical material on the Sprague family, ephemera, tributes, and awards.
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Collection consists of correspondence, writings, legal documents, drawings, photographs, printed matter, and other Mansfield family papers. Papers are largely personal in nature with the bulk being Beatrice Cameron's papers. Other members of the...
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Collection consists of correspondence, writings, legal documents, drawings, photographs, printed matter, and other Mansfield family papers. Papers are largely personal in nature with the bulk being Beatrice Cameron's papers. Other members of the family represented in the collection are Hermine Rudersdorff, Richard Mansfield's mother, and George Gibbs Mansfield, the Mansfields' son. Writings are plays and poems; family papers include diaries, daybooks, address books, photographs, scrapbooks, drawings, blueprints, and newspaper clippings.
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The collection includes photographs, original drawings for set and costume designs, and blueprints; as well as miscellaneous exhibition materials such as catalogs, labels, display case notes, programs, and periodicals containing material about the...
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The collection includes photographs, original drawings for set and costume designs, and blueprints; as well as miscellaneous exhibition materials such as catalogs, labels, display case notes, programs, and periodicals containing material about the operas. Set and costume designers include Frederick John Kiesler, Nathalie Swan, Bruno Funaro, Daniel Brenner, and others. Most of the photographs were taken by Samuel H. Gottscho.
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The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society was founded in 1895 to preserve scenic and historic sites. The records contain correspondence, minutes, reports, photographs and printed material documenting the Society's work, chiefly in New...
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The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society was founded in 1895 to preserve scenic and historic sites. The records contain correspondence, minutes, reports, photographs and printed material documenting the Society's work, chiefly in New York State.
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The records consist primarily of administrative and financial papers, as well as photographs documenting the history and activities of Yellow Springs Institute, an international residency institute for artists and scholars, that was located in...
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The records consist primarily of administrative and financial papers, as well as photographs documenting the history and activities of Yellow Springs Institute, an international residency institute for artists and scholars, that was located in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.
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Harold Edelman (1924-1999) was an architect and preservationist who worked to retain the character of sites in Greenwich Village and surrounding areas. The Harold Edelman collection on Greenwich Village (1957-1967) contain architectural drawings,...
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Harold Edelman (1924-1999) was an architect and preservationist who worked to retain the character of sites in Greenwich Village and surrounding areas. The Harold Edelman collection on Greenwich Village (1957-1967) contain architectural drawings, notes and reports from Edelman's firm relating to studies undertaken in the Greenwich Village area and the rehabilitation of Washington Square Park.
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John Francis Sullivan (1878- ) was an engineer who worked on New York City municipal improvement projects from the 1900s through the 1920s. In 1930 he was appointed City Planner. From 1918 to 1920, as an Army Reserve officer, Sullivan directed...
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John Francis Sullivan (1878- ) was an engineer who worked on New York City municipal improvement projects from the 1900s through the 1920s. In 1930 he was appointed City Planner. From 1918 to 1920, as an Army Reserve officer, Sullivan directed construction of the United States Nitrate Plant No. 2 at Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He also served in 1927 as a consultant on the construction of the Cooper River Bridge in Charleston, South Carolina. Collection consists of correspondence, reports, minutes, transcripts, blueprints, maps, notes, sketches, photographs, and printed matter chiefly concerning the projects Sullivan worked on in New York City.
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The Anna Held Museum Papers consist of correspondence, photographs and manuscripts, which document the careers and personal lives of Anna Held, Florenz Ziegfeld, Billie Burke and Liane Carrera. Drafts of Anna Held's biography are among the papers.

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The Living Theatre was founded by Judith Malina and Julian Beck in 1947. The records consist of scripts and related performance papers. Also included are business papers, financial records, clippings, diaries, photographs and correspondence. There...
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The Living Theatre was founded by Judith Malina and Julian Beck in 1947. The records consist of scripts and related performance papers. Also included are business papers, financial records, clippings, diaries, photographs and correspondence. There is little material reflecting the personal lives of Malina and Beck.
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